LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The spotlight is now on another one of the valley’s rural preservation neighborhoods.
Residents living in the area near Jones Boulevard and Russell Road are worried their designated rural neighborhood won't feel so rural because of a proposed church expansion.
Inside a packed meeting room, residents who live in the neighborhood voiced their concerns over the plans.
“Things can be done. Certainly, things can be done,” said Thom Shelton, who lives near St. Michael’s Orthodox Church.
The church opened 13 years ago and now, church leaders want to expand for their growing congregation. A few years ago, they bought 10 acres of land next door.
“My backyard will be right in their parking lot,” said Howard Karsh, who lives behind the church.
“Initially we could not see eye to eye, but five years down the road, I think we’ve come a long way,” said Grmia Zaid, a member of the church and an adviser for the expansion.
Zaid tells Channel 13 plans include creating 465 additional parking spaces, a community center for kids, and an indoor basketball court.
“It really is frustrating and not really something I wanted to live next door to. It certainly wasn’t there when I bought the property,” Karsh said.
A big worry for residents is about the future of these rural neighborhoods around the valley. In Clark County’s rural preservation areas, there are restrictions on what can be built, and the point is to keep the quiet feel.
“We did move to a rural preservation neighborhood because of that reason,” Shelton said.
The religious property isn’t the worry. Instead, it’s the building and parking lot that residents believe could change the landscape and future appeal.
This case is similar to what people in Lone Mountain are worried about, too, when it comes to the proposed temple for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the construction changing that rural neighborhood.
“This is a large project built in the middle of it,” Shelton said.
Residents are now hoping church leaders will consider their concerns as the church will soon go to the County for a special use permit for the expansion.
“We have to meet with our neighbors and we have to listen to their issues and try to mitigate the problem,” Zaid said.
Church leaders have not announced plans for when construction will begin.
Channel 13 reached out to Clark County officials about the project and specifically asked for information regarding a special use permit to build on the land. County officials responded by saying:
“Special use permits are required to allow the use of a place of worship in just about all of our zoning districts, residential zoning districts included. The application process would involve a public meeting before the Spring Valley town advisory board and a public hearing before the Clark County commission.”
A search of records shows that at this time, no permit request has been filed for the proposed expansion.
